{"id":1064,"date":"2025-12-26T20:43:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/?p=1064"},"modified":"2025-12-26T20:43:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:43:51","slug":"202512262043","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/26\/202512262043\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Donghua | Realizing Supreme Freedom in the Hall of Ease:A Sanctuary for Spiritual Practice in a Millennium-Old Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-7.png 863w, https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-7-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-7-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 863px) 100vw, 863px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nestled within the millennium-old Donghua Zen Temple lies the serene and solemn meditation hall\u2014the Hall of Ease. Today, let us step into this space imbued with the wisdom of spiritual practice and explore connected sites along the path, such as the Three Sages Cave and Vulture Peak, to experience the spiritual heritage amidst the temple\u2019s forests and mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"553\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-8.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1065\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hall of Ease, also known as the Hall of Buddha Selection, is the seventh main hall of Donghua Zen Temple and serves as one of its core meditation spaces. Only after passing through the previous halls and meeting their respective criteria can practitioners qualify to enter this hall for practical cultivation. Upon successfully completing the training within, a monk can attain realization through practical engagement\u2014becoming one who has achieved \u201cgreat freedom\u201d and transforming into a true monastic talent who thoroughly comprehends both Buddhist rituals and teachings. Monks who pass the examinations according to the sequence of practice can achieve a state of inner and outer unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In front of the gate of the Hall of Ease\u2019s courtyard hangs a couplet personally inscribed by Master Wanxing, rich with Zen meaning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facing West: Sipping tea reveals one\u2019s true heart; Amidst stick and shout, the Founder\u2019s intent is clear. Horizontal Plaque: Attain Great Liberation<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facing East: Seeking Buddha, seeking Dharma, is seeking a false path; Be neither tense nor lax, nor dwell in between. Horizontal Plaque: Seek Nothing Outside<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"554\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-9.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1067\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Continuing onward from the Hall of Ease, you will reach the Three Sages Cave. Originally named the Huineng Cave, legend has it that the Sixth Patriarch once visited and struck the cave entrance three times with his staff. While in retreat here, Master Wanxing attained a profound Zen realization and subsequently renamed it the Three Sages Cave.&nbsp;&nbsp;As stated in the<em>&nbsp;Tao Te Ching<\/em>, \u201cFrom One comes Two, from Two comes Three, from Three comes all things.\u201d Thus, the name \u201cThree Sages Cave\u201d signifies this site as the origin of Donghua Temple and the source from which countless accomplished practitioners have emerged over the centuries, representing the enduring lineage of Zen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Lion Mountain where the Three Sages Cave is located resembles a mighty lion swooping down from the sky, ready to attack. Three Sages Cave is precisely located at the lion\u2019s mouth, with the viewing platform forming its lower jaw. A short distance farther lies Vulture Peak. The mountain was named by Master Zhiyao for its resonance with the spiritual energy of India\u2019s Vulture Peak, where the Buddha once delivered teachings. When viewed from below, the entire mountain resembles a giant divine vulture spreading its wings for flight, with countless smaller vultures nestled among them, each like a vivid and lifelike arhat. (translator:Jiang Renfeng)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nestled within the millennium-old Donghua Zen Temple lies the serene and solemn meditation hall\u2014the Hall of Ea [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1069,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1064\/revisions\/1069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shgjjlnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}